cosmetic-items
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The surprising importance of visual improvement
Before the introduction of transmogrification, I had no idea why anyone wanted it. Back then, I was a pretty involved raider (still am, but probably a step or so less) and almost all of my effort in-game was dedicated towards improving my gear's stats. I didn't give much thought to how it looked. Occasionally I'd make fun of myself for looks like the one above, when I simply couldn't get a hat or shoulders to drop in the first tier of Cataclysm raiding and had to settle for ones from Zul'Gurub or Zul'Aman. I wore them, because they were the best I could get, and every week I cursed the bosses in Blackwing Descent and Bastion of Twilight for not dropping better. But I always thought it was the stats that were important, not the fact that I looked like some demented tauren clown pretending to be a murloc to scare tauren children. It took me a long time to understand how important a feature that allows you to customize your character's look can be to get you invested in that character. My groaning bank and void storage, filled to bursting with transmog items, can certainly attest that I quickly learned that lesson. But it shouldn't have been so surprising to me, considering I played in vanilla -- and back in vanilla, it was the fact that the tier raiding sets were such stark visual improvements that was half the motivation in pursuing them.
Flameseeker Chronicles: A Guild Wars 2 anniversary wish list
Guild Wars 2 is doing very well. Even setting aside ArenaNet's announcement last week that the game is officially the fastest-selling MMO ever, GW2 has enough players who are dedicated to it and spending money on it to justify a content patch every two weeks, and the development team is showing no signs of slowing down. It's a success story in an unforgiving industry where successes are few and far between; while many other studios are restructuring and redefining their games -- or even shutting games down altogether -- GW2 is holding steady a year after launch. Happy birthday, GW2! I love this game. If I didn't, I'd be nuts to devote time to writing a weekly column about it, let alone play it almost every day. Even though I had nothing to do with its creation, I'm proud of it in a way, and I'm happy for the people who made it because they deserve success. Based on what's been talked about, I feel pretty good about what's coming up in the second half of the year. There are a few lingering nitpicks I have, though, that run the risk of becoming so entrenched that they hang out on the back of the priority list for years -- and they're at the top of my wish list for things I'd like to see before GW2's two-year anniversary rolls around.
Patch 5.4 PTR: Countless cosmetic items on the Timeless Isle
If you're one of the many players who don't like to spend real cash on virtual items (like Blizzard's recently added cosmetic helms), you'll be glad to know that patch 5.4's Timeless Isle is packed with cool cosmetic items that won't cost you anything but time. And by time, we mean grinding -- though with the array of interesting events and rare spawns to be found on the Timeless Isle, it could be more entertaining than your average grinding experience. So what's on offer? Mounts, pets, vanity gear, disguises, and odd gizmos of all sorts. There's so many, in fact, that it's hard to narrow the list down to our favorites, but these are some of the most interesting: Weather stones -- which come in sunset, rain, blizzard, and ashen varieties -- can be used to change the weather in the area. Cauterizing Core, an item with 20 charges which allows you to resurrect on death with 20% health and mana. Pi'jiu Brews, which summon a spectral monk -- mistweaver, windwalker, or brewmaster -- to fight for you for 10 minutes. Faintly-Glowing Herb, which restores 50,000 health per second for 10 seconds. If that sounds overpowered, it's probably because it's a BoA and has a duration of only a day -- so if you want them, you'll have to farm them yourself. As to how to get this gear, a lot of it comes from rare drops, rare spawns, or events, but some is bought with Bloody Coins or Shaohao reputation. And this list is only scratching the surface -- check out Wowhead for the full list of vanity items you're likely to find on the Timeless Isle as well as how to get them for yourself come patch day.
Cosmetic helms now available in Blizzard Store
The first round of transmog gear for purchase has appeared in the Blizzard store. The Crown of Eternal Winter, Jewel of the Firelord, and Hood of Hungering Darkness are all head slot items with zero stats, functional only for cosmetic reasons. All three of these items are unique models with animations, and I do have to say, they are rather visually arresting. Of the three, I think the Jewel of the Firelord (pictured above) is my favorite, but I'm quite sure the Crown of Eternal Winter will be a popular choice thanks to its skull face look. Spooky! Something notable about these helms is that they don't seem to have an armor type. The description tells us that they work across all races and classes, and are available on all current and future WoW characters. So for those of us playing classes that might not have a whole lot of variety available to us (ahem, mail-wearers) this could be a nice way to expand the wardrobe. All three of these helms are available for purchase in the US Blizzard Store under the Collectibles tab for $15.00 apiece and in the EU Blizzard Store under the Pets & Mounts tab, for 12,00 euros each.
Transmog helms, TCG-style items coming to Blizzard Pet Store
Blizzard is adding a little variety to the Pet Store, in the form of transmogrification items and toys. In the preview posted on the official site, Bashiok talks about each of the items that will be made available at some point in the future. Perhaps the most interesting items are new helms with vivid spell effects that players can use for transmogrification purposes. One is an icy helm with a skull that covers the player's face, another is a set of fiery horns, and the third is a glowing red and black hood, which appears to be complete with a pair of ominous red eyes. In addition to the transmogrification items, Blizzard will also be adding some fun, limited-use items similar to those that you can currently get from the WoW TCG. The first is a seesaw that you and a party member can hop on, the second is the Iron Hitching Post, an item you can place on the ground. Up to 24 players can click on the item to jump on a gorgeous Iron Warhorse mount -- perfect for storming the Battlegrounds. It's interesting to see Blizzard take a different approach to the Pet Store. Originally just a place where players could purchase fun pets and mounts, the new additions add a lot of variety. I doubt I'll be purchasing any of the helms, but that Iron Hitching Post is certainly tempting, as is the seesaw. I don't think I mind the new additions, as they serve the same purpose as mounts and pets -- nothing that will further your character's performance, just fun items for cosmetic purposes. While we don't know exactly when these items will be hitting the Pet Store, what do you think? Are there other things you'd like to see added? Would you rather transmogrification gear simply be an in-game option? Will you be purchasing any of the new stuff?
EverQuest's Hero's Forge cosmetic system goes live
All you EverQuest players better put on your fiercest faces and get ready to hit the catwalk 'cause the game's cosmetic armor system is officially live. The new feature, known as the Hero's Forge, will provide players the means to craft and discover a number of new cosmetic armor pieces so that they can strut around Norrath in the finest fashions. But much like that Versace handbag you've had your eye on (don't deny it), haute couture in Norrath doesn't come cheap. The Hero's Forge will have to be unlocked separately for each individual character on a player's account, and the only way of doing this is via a real-money transaction in the SOE Marketplace at the slightly ridiculous price of 1200 Station Cash ($12 US) per character. Looks like you can put a price on beauty. Nonetheless, players eager to get a fashionista fix can head on over to the Marketplace to get hooked up. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]
The Daily Grind: How far would you go for cosmetic gear?
Massively's got so many cosmetic-gear gurus and sandbox aficionados on staff that sometimes I suspect no amount of character customization and housing and achievements and titles would ever be enough for us. We'd do just about anything for more ways to distinguish our characters in an MMO. But what about raiding for cosmetic gear? Enter OpenRaid, a World of Warcraft website that helps players organize cross-server PvE dungeon raids and premade PvP teams for the express purpose of acquiring achievements and gear to transmogrify (i.e., map the skin of something cool onto something with good stats). While I'd hope that needing to run large-scale endgame content for gorgeous weapon skins isn't going to become commonplace in future MMOs, it's still fascinating to see roleplay-oriented players playing content they wouldn't normally touch, just to collect a dress. So how far would you go -- or have you gone -- to get your hands on a sweet piece of cosmetic gear, title, or achievement? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Aion adds Lineage II armor microtransaction items
Long-time fans of NCsoft MMOs are no doubt aware of the visual similarities between Aion and Lineage II. Sure, Aion is quite a bit newer and shinier, but it's easy to see influences from the earlier title if you know where to look. Take the level 30 Elyos Daeva armor for example. The set looks suspiciously like an updated version of L2's Blue Wolf armor, right down to the skin-tight leggings and the white boots. Today, NCsoft has announced a cash shop promotion designed to capitalize on the seven-year anniversary of L2 and intermingle the two titles even further. Players are now able to purchase skins inspired by Lineage II's dynasty armor for use on their Aion avatars. The dynasty skins also mark the first set of armor appearance items that aren't restricted by a player's armor proficiency (i.e., if you want to put the dynasty plate set on your cloth-wearing Sorceror, you can). The skins are available via NCsoft's microtransaction store and will only be available for a limited time according to the official website.
The Tattered Notebook: The value of vanity
I always knew Gnomes were evil, but a Gnomish pirate?! This was too much. As much as I wanted that new horse of a different color mount from Bristlebane Day, I could barely stand the thought of having to go toe-to-toe with the cabbage-scented Captain Gnoggin. In a lopsided battle, I emerged victorious, and as I did my turn-in for the new Bristlebane Day quest, I was reminded that EverQuest II offers an enormous variety of unique house items and appearance clothing. Cosmetic items might not offer any real advantage in progression, but they speak to the depth of content in the game and the quality of life that players enjoy. Being able to create an amazing home or make yourself stand out with a unique look is a real luxury for players. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look back at the evolution of vanity items in game and take a look at a few easy ways that players of all levels can add a little bling to their lives.
The Anvil of Crom: All I want for Christmas
Buuurrrp. Ah. Begging your pardon, but you know how it goes this time of year, leftovers and all that. Seeing as how this is a Thanksgiving holiday weekend here in the States -- and the annual Christmas shopping orgy has begun -- it seems an appropriate time to indulge in a bit of list-making with regard to Age of Conan. I don't normally do lists here at The Anvil of Crom, as many seem to be the game journalist's equivalent of the oh-crap-I've-got-a-deadline-but-no-topic safety net. Occasionally, though, they serve a real purpose. In my case that purpose is bitching politely talking about what I'd like to see Funcom add to its AoC recipe. So, in honor of the pilgrims and their pilfering of North America (or the cold turkey sandwich you're no doubt stealing from your fridge at this very moment), I present to you three things Age of Conan should pillage from other MMORPGs. Join me after the cut for the rundown.
Exploring Eberron: A first glance at Update 8
The Dungeons and Dragons Online development team has been hard at work lately. The Endless Night event and aftermath kept the developers hopping in between updates, but now we've got the next update to look forward to! Update 8 is coming in December, and it's exciting to see all of the tweaks and refinements -- especially to one of the new races -- as well as little treats like the cookie jar, cosmetic fixes all over the game, and brand-new content! Join me behind the cut for what I'm excited to see in Update 8!
Star Wars Galaxies ramps up for the Galactic Moon Festival
Even if you're in a galaxy far, far away, that's no reason to get away from the festivities that Halloween brings. It's time for Star Wars Galaxies to host the Galactic Moon Festival once again, an event wherein mystical Jedi warriors and proud Wookiee soldiers can pretend to be fantastical, made-up creatures like ghouls and vampires. And while there's a touch of thematic disconnect there, if there's one thing we MMO players seem to love, it's a good holiday event. Starting on the 21st of October, the Galactic Moon Festival features everything you could want in a holiday celebration -- cosmetic costumes, minigames, and plenty of little treats for players to acquire over the course of the event. Aside from a variety of rewards to be earned via a particularly terrifying costume, there are new pieces of cosmetic clothing to be purchased, from the elegant Z'zopheratu's jacket to the adorable Rotta the Huttlet backpack. Take a look at the full preview to see what's coming for Star Wars Galaxies with the festival.
ArenaNet designer gives new details on armor and loot in Guild Wars 2
Last night was an interesting one for Guild Wars 2 fans. A new ArenaNet blog post popped up, this one courtesy of designer John Hargrove, who had a lot to say about two of our favorite things in the game: loot and armor. Players have been wondering how loot is going to work in Guild Wars 2 in conjunction with the karma and dynamic event systems, so it was nice to have that cleared up. Unfortunately, much of the news got lost when players almost immediately focused on a single sentence: "With the transmutation system, you'll be able to acquire new items known as Transmutation Stones through our in-game store that allow you to customize your appearance." The player base as a whole is pretty vocal about this single sentence, but there was so much more that John had to tell us. Follow along after the jump to see what it is.
The Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part two)
Last week we began a tour through the upcoming content Turbine have planned for Lord of the Rings Online, including the new-player experience, instance scaling and the region of Enedwaith. By themselves, those features represent so much exciting content that we could've ended there and been satisfied, but that wasn't the half of it. Well, it was the half of it, actually. Here's the other half. Buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride on the Buckleberry Ferry!
Breakdown of skirmish rewards for Lord of the Rings Online
The Lord of the Rings Online expansion Siege of Mirkwood has been out for almost a month now, and players are beginning to get a good feel for how things work in the new areas. However, some of the most enjoyable areas can also be the most complicated, and there's a lot to figure out. Merric from A Casual Stroll to Mordor is helping with this, and has started a great guide to the skirmish rewards system. The first two parts are all about cosmetic clothing and items, and we have to say it's a very thorough job. The first guide includes a quick explanation of skirmish marks and how they drop, and follow up with a chart including each type of mark, a screenshot of the tooltip, and where it can be found. Scroll down a bit more and you'll find a similar chart featuring each type of cosmetic clothing available and the requirements to acquire it. Part two, released this morning, carries the same format and covers items such as cloaks and backpacks. The guides are a must-read for any Siege of Mirkwood fan, and our thanks to Merric for the time and effort put into them. We look forward to more!
WoW Insider Show Episode 101: Upward and onward
There was really just one topic on the show last Saturday, and it was patch 3.2. We finally went down all of the new features and class changes we're expecting in the patch, and laid out (with the help of some of our chat channel folks) who was buffed, who was nerfed, and which classes are, in Turpster's estimation, "rubbish anyway." Alex Ziebart and Lesley Smith helped us decode some of the more complicated changes, and of course we answered your emails, including how the fishing daily can make you 4k gold, whether our characters are really getting stronger or not, and Blizzard's problems with cosmetic items and armor dyes.The show is available at any of the links below (or for listening right here on this page). If you haven't yet subscribed to the show in iTunes (where you can listen to it for free on your iPod or iPhone), please do. And while you're there, feel free to leave us a rating or a review -- the more we can get, the better. Thanks for listening as always, and we'll see you next week.Get the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.Listen here on the page:
